Israel re-opens Gaza crossings as truce with Palestinians holds

9/8/2022 11:56

        Israel reopened border crossings into Gaza on Monday following an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with the militant Islamic Jihad group that ended the
        bloodiest escalation of fighting around the volatile Palestinian enclave in more than a year.
        
        The opening of the border crossings allowed fuel trucks in to supply Gaza's only power plant and increase the availability of electricity, which was down to around eight hours a day.
        
        At least 44 people, 15 of them children, were killed in 56 hours of violence that began when Israeli airstrikes hit a senior Islamic Jihad commander. Israel said its action was a pre-emptive strike against an attack the Iranian-backed group had planned.
        
        Hundreds more people were wounded and several houses destroyed in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian militants fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israel, sending residents of southern areas and major cities including Tel Aviv fleeing to shelters.